Cricket: McCullum not a bad tosser

Brendon McCullum's tossing record has been the subject of some ridicule in recent years. Photo / Getty

He laced with some humour, it still had a point.

When it was lightheartedly pointed out to Brendon McCullum that he'd lost yet another toss at Dunedin last week, his response had a slightly plaintive tone.

''My record is not as bad as everyone makes out," he grinned.

So here's the numbers to show that, in fact, McCullum is not that bad a tosser.

True, he got off to the worst possible start. He won the call at Cape Town on January 2, 2013 and, determined to begin on the front foot, chose to bat against Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel.

South Africa were already one down by lunch. That's not a misprint.

New Zealand were rolled for 45 in 19.2 overs. Five batsmen made three between them; Kane Williamson was the only batsman to get double figures. South Africa won by an innings and 27 runs.

Welcome to this captaincy lark, skip.

McCullum's first toss win which produced a test victory came at Seddon Park, in December 2013, against the West Indies.

Indeed he's only won three tosses which have led to test wins, all against the Windies, the other two in 2014.

''I do get a fair grilling from the rest of the boys about my tossing record, but I must be due to win another one," McCullum said after Dunedin, where Sri Lankan skipper Angelo Mathews called it right.

McCullum's success is slightly poorer than some previous New Zealand skippers; on a par with others.

Of his three predecessors, Ross Taylor won eight and lost five test tosses; Dan Vettori won 17, lost 15; while Stephen Fleming, the country's longest-serving captain, won 37 and lost 43.

Going back further, John R. Reid had a 50 percent success rate in 34 matches; Geoff Howarth won 17 of 30.

The two worst? Glenn Turner won just two of 10; Bevan Congdon four of 17.

So McCullum need not worry. He's far from the poorest.

And in any case, as the test game prepares to move forward at pace from the inaugural pink ball match in Adelaide, there's a proposal to do away with the toss and let the visiting team get the choice of batting or bowling first.

That would remove the one element of chance which two teams, no matter their relative playing strengths, have a 50-50 chance of winning.

McCullum the Tosser:

Tests:
As captain: 28
Won toss: 11; lost toss 17

ODI:
As captain: 56
Won toss: 27; lost toss 29

T20:
As captain: 28
Won toss: 16; lost toss 12

Overall international record:
Matches: 112
Won toss: 54; lost toss 58